Using Your iPhone or iPad to Type on Apple TV – Two Methods

Here’s how you can use your iPhone or iPad to type in text boxes on Apple TV 4 set top box. We will lay down two methods for doing so.

Apple TV Remote App or Bluetooth? You Decide What You Want to Use

Entering text in Apple TV is not an easy feat at all, especially if you are opting to do it with the bundled Siri Remote. It’s probably the slowest way to do things on the big screen, and something which will make you throw an anger fit if you manage to click on the wrong alphabet. But don’t worry, we will lay down two methods today which you can utilize to enter text on your Apple TV, hopefully making things a whole lot easier for you.

Using the Apple TV Remote App

The official Apple TV Remote app is the way to go if you want to ditch the bundled Siri Remote altogether. Just install it on your iPhone and you’ll be up and running in no time. In fact, it does everything which the Siri Remote does, but has a massive advantage over it – entering text using on-screen keyboard. Whenever you come across a text box, the keyboard will instantly pop up on your iPhone, allowing you to enter text on the fly. This is very handy, if you’re asking us, and goes a long way in helping you type things when needed.

Using Bluetooth & Your iPhone

If you have the latest version of tvOS installed on your Apple TV as well as the latest release of iOS 10 on iPhone, you can enter text right from your device still. You do not need to install the Apple TV Remote app at all in order to make this happen in fact. All you have to do is leave your iPhone’s Bluetooth on. As soon as a text box appears, just pick up your iPhone, and you’ll see a pop-up asking you to enter text. How cool is that?

Just make sure you are signed in with the same Apple ID on your iPhone and Apple TV both for this to happen. Don’t expect to take control of your friend’s Apple TV just because you have a Bluetooth turned on. Things are pretty secure from Apple’s end.

Wrap Up

You can opt to connect a Bluetooth keyboard with the Apple TV, but it’s not an ideal thing to do. We struggle to handle one remote at any given time, a massive keyboard is an entirely new story.